Pinocchio by Compagnie Louis Brouillard is inspired by Carlo Collodi’s book and directed by Joël Pommerat.

Pommerat has created two dozen plays, winning the 2006 Critics’ Prize for Best Work from the Critics Syndicate and the Grand Prix for Dramatic Literature at the Avignon Festival among others.

Seconds after it stars, the play plunges the audience into darkness. This is not uncommon in Pommerat’s shows, which are punctu- ated with blackouts and are dimly lit at the best of times.

Pinocchio’s narrator – or, more specifically, its présentateur – is illustrating his blindness as a child, during which time he created a company of characters who remain at his side. A couple of them are picked out upstage in a spotlight, each wearing an animal mask that’s creepy rather than cute. With the help of his company, the presenter tells us, he has dedicated himself to one task: to speak only the truth. Pinocchio’s audience learn, much like the wooden hero, that the world is full of random cruelty. If you hadn’t already guessed, there is no chirpy, Disney-style cricket in this retelling.

Performer／Compagnie Louis Brouillard
Original Text／Joël Pommerat
Director／Joël Pommerat
Artistic collaboration／Philippe Carbonneaux
Stage and Lighting Design／Éric Soyer
Costumes／Marie-Hélène Bouvet
Music／Antonin Leymarie
Sound／François Leymarie
　　　Grégoire Leymarie
　　　Yann Priest
Cast／Myriam Assouline
　　Sylvain Caillat
　　Pierre-Yves Chapalain
　　Daniel Dubois
　　Maya Vignando

Technical director／Emmanuel Abate
Stage managers／Sylvain Caillat, Mohamed Elasri, Margot Boche, Bruno Racine
Sound manager／Yann Priest
Light manager／Jean-Pierre Michel
Dresser／Elisabeth Cerqueira

Surtitles manager／Jorge Tomé
Chinese Translation／Shih-Wei Wang